Intellectual Property Rights (ipr)
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Charter
Last Modified: 2006-03-07
Current Status: Active Working Group
Chair(s):
Harald Alvestrand
Steven Bellovin
General Area Director(s):
Brian Carpenter
General Area Advisor:
Brian Carpenter
Mailing Lists:
General Discussion:ipr-wg@ietf.org
To Subscribe: ipr-wg-request@ietf.org
Archive: http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/ipr-wg/index.html
Description of Working Group:
The IETF and the Internet have greatly benefited from the free
exchange of ideas and technology. For many years the IETF normal
behavior was to standardize only unencumbered technology.
While the "Tao" of the IETF is still strongly oriented toward
unencumbered technology, we can and do make use of technology that has
various encumbrances.
One of the goals of the IETF IPR policy has been to make it easier
for the IETF to make use of encumbered technology when it made
sense to do so.
This group has attempted to clarify and update that IPR policy,
resulting in RFC 3978, RFC 3979 and RFC 3905. The WG has also
discussed the possibility of changing the IETF's patent policy, but
did not detect a consensus for doing so.
At the time of this recharter (February 2006), there are two
remaining items of work for the WG:
- An issue with the production of derivative works has led to the
realization that RFC 2026 and RFC 3978 do not specify exactly the
same policy on this matter, and that neither policy, when read
literally, may be optimal for the IETF's purpose,
in accordance with its mission statement (RFC 3935), its policy
of retaining change control of its own documents, and its desire
for its documents to be openly available and useful.
- The creation of the IETF Trust for managing the IETF IPR has led
to the question of how the Trustees should evaluate the
benefit of the IETF community as a whole and if necessary the
consensus of the IETF on a given matter. Specifically the question
arises whether the previous discussions of the IPR WG have led to
experience that should be codified for the guidance of the Trustees.
The WG will produce 3 documents:
- An update to RFC 3978 (BCP) that attempts to specify a complete set
of rights with respect to derivative works granted to the IETF by
authors, as well as technical updates necessitated by the existence
of the Trust
- A document (info) giving advice to the IETF Trust on what rights in
IETF contributions it should attempt to grant to the public in order
to retain change control while allowing open access, resolving the
discrepancy between RFC 2026 and RFC 3978
- A document (info) giving other advice to the IETF Trust on IPR
handling, based on the IPR WG's experience of discussions in the area
The last document may include advice to the IETF Trust on
mechanisms for consulting with the community on IPR issues once the
IPR WG has closed, if consensus on such advice can be found.
The IPR WG may decide to drop the last document from its charter if
it decides that it has nothing to say.
All documents should have an IETF-wide Last Call before being approved.
Goals and Milestones:
Done 1st draft of updated IPR BCP document on documents -
documenting existing practice
Done 1st draft of updated IPR BCP document on technology -
documenting existing practice
Done 1st draft of IPR guidance document
Done 2nd draft of updated IPR BCP document on documents
Done List of issues that need to be discussed while revising the
documents
Done 2nd draft of updated IPR BCP document on technology
Done 2nd draft of IPR guidance document
Done IPR BCP document on documents sent to IETF Last Call
Done IPR BCP document on technology sent to IETF Last Call
Done IPR guidance document submitted to IESG for publication
Done 1st draft of RFC 3978 update
Feb 2006 1st draft of granted rights advice doc
Feb 2006 1st draft of IPR advice doc
Mar 2006 RFC 3978 update to IESG for approval
Apr 2006 Granted rights advice to IESG for approval
Aug 2006 IPR advice to IESG for approval
Oct 2006 Once documents are all published, close WG
Internet-Drafts:
Posted Revised I-D Title
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Oct 2005 Jul 2006
RFC 3978 Update
Mar 2006 Mar 2006
Advice to the IAOC on Rights to be Granted in IETF RFCs
Jul 2006 Jul 2006
RFC 3978 Update to recognize the IETF Trust
Request For Comments:
RFC Stat Published Title
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RFC3669 I Feb 2004 Guidelines for Working Groups on Intellectual Property
Issues
RFC3668BCP Feb 2004 Intellectual Property Rights in IETF Technology
RFC3667BCP Feb 2004 IETF Rights in Contributions
RFC3905 I Sep 2004 A Template for IETF Patent Disclosures and Licensing
Declarations
RFC3978BCP Mar 2005 IETF Rights in Contributions